The Kings put out a statement on behalf of coach Paul Westphal that said DeMarcus Cousins demanded a trade and was suspended for Sunday's game against the Hornets. Reportedly, Cousins was heard shouting at Westphal after Friday's game, "Trade me!" in the hallway.

Cousins agent refuted that the Kings' release and said his client has not demanded a trade. And Cousins did the same Sunday night on Twitter.

Obviously something is going on. Cousins may not want you to believe what the Kings say or reporters report, but it's hard not to assume there's some serious fire with this smoke. There's too much of a history with Cousins to give himt the benefit of the doubt here.

DeMarcus Cousins has always had a tag on him: immature. But that's often giving Cousins the benefit of the doubt. Because some might feel the right word is "head-case." One of those people might be Kings coach Paul Westphal.

The Kings released a surprising statement from Westphal regarding Cousins saying point blank that the young big man has demanded a trade. And as a result, Cousins has been told to stay home and won't be playing against the Hornets Sunday night.

“Whenever a new season begins, in any sport, there is great hope that everything will progress in only a steady, upward direction. As we all know, it seldom happens like that in this life! As coaches, we can only ask that our players do everything they can to improve themselves as individuals and teammates.

If they do this with all their hearts, we live with the results. Everything that happens on a team does not become known to the public. This is how it should be. However, when a player continually, aggressively, lets it be known that he is unwilling/unable to embrace traveling in the same direction as his team, it cannot be ignored indefinitely. DeMarcus Cousins has demanded to be traded.

In the best interest of our team as we go forward, he has been directed by me, with the support of management, to stay home from the New Orleans game tonight.”

"DeMarcus never demanded a trade. I'm surprised the Kings, if they believe the player wanted a trade, wouldn't have made a phone call to his representative. Maybe Westphal is just feeling the Heat early this season."

I'm trying to infer from Westphal's comments and Greig's subsequent denial, but maybe Westphal is saying Cousins has demanded a trade with his actions. Or that Westphal has demanded that Cousins demand a trade. A "him or me" approach.

This comes after Cousins was asked recently about the Kings offense and he quipped, "What offense?" which is obviously a jab at Westphal. Cousins also took to Twitter late Sunday and refuted it as well.

Westphal has battled with Cousins since the Kings drafted him in 2010. Last season, Cousins was suspended by the team for an altercation with Donte Greene, he's been ejected and he's mocked opponents for choking only to get benched for it. The guy hasn't had a smooth run so far in the NBA. Cousins has a tattoo on his leg that says "misunderstood." Red flag! He constantly feels like he's being picked on, singled out. And it seems that it's either going to be him or Westphal that goes in Sacramento. Because the two can't co-exist. What the Kings are going through is what so many team anticipated before the draft in 2010. Most felt that Cousins probably was the most talented player out there, except he might be a problem child. Which it appears he is.

Andrei Kirilenko, arguably the NBA's best remaining unsigned free agent, has taken himself off the market.

RT.com reports that Kirilenko will remain in Russia, where he is currently playing for powerhouse CSKA Moscow, rather than return to the NBA during the 2011-2012 season.

“During this month I considered different options, weighting out all pros and cons, and I came to the conclusion that I should finish this season with CSKA,” Andrey Kirilenko told CSKA’s official website. “We’ve developed great team chemistry, the real team in the first part of the season. It would be inappropriate to stop halfway. It would be unfair toward my teammates and, more importantly, toward fans. I know how many people count on me.”

“To play for CSKA is a great pleasure and fun, and I will do my best to win all the tournaments we are participating in. I am thankful to club’s management for patience in my difficult situation. Thank you very much to all the fans for their support. Come to our games to cheer for CSKA,” the 30 year-old added.

Kirilenko, 30, played 10 seasons for the Utah Jazz, posting career averages of 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 assists. Back in October, the versatile two-way player signed a three-year contract to play for CSKA Moscow, but the deal included an opt-out clause which would have allowed a return to the NBA.

A star on the Russian national team, Kirilenko was reportedly being pursued by the Sacramento Kings, among other teams, during the abbreviated preseason free agent period.

In November, Kirilenko endured a scary fall, suffering a concussion and breaking his nose when he slammed his head on the hardwood.

3-on-2 asks the EOB crew to compare two quick items for debate. This week's topic? First impressions. You can follow EOB on Twitter at @EyeonBasketball.

1. Which team has been most impressive in the first week of the season and why?

Matt Moore: We knew how good the Thunder were going to be, and it took a huge near-miracle shot from Durant to assure victory on Thursday. We knew the Heat could be this good, we're just not certain they'll keep this pace. But how about the Portland Trail Blazers? They've been impressive on both sides of the ball and beat a very good Denver team that had been as impressive before Thursday. The Blazers are hitting on all cylinders and Thursday night Raymond Felton started to get involved. Jamal Crawford has been surprisingly efficient. LaMarcus Aldridge is still LMA, and Gerald Wallace has been a demon on defense. The Blazers have made a statement early.

Royce Young: Oklahoma City. The Thunder are the only team with four wins, and they aren't wins over nobody. Orlando, an improved Minnesota squad on the road, at Memphis and a buzzer-beating victory over the defending champion Mavericks. And not just that, but those four wins both were sets of back-to-backs.

The Thunder had to overcome a lot of noise after the Memphis game to remain focused on their task. Outside distractions like supposed altercations and supposed feuds can be difficult to move past, but the Thunder have handled their business in the first week. They've put away four wins in five days. And against some pretty good teams. That's impressive.

Ben Golliver: Miami Heat. The Big 3 and company have dumptrucked Dallas, blown out Boston and come back against Charlotte after appearing a bit bored during the first half. In each game, the Heat had flashes of superhuman play that can't be match by anyone in the NBA, Oklahoma City included. LeBron James is the key: his improved mid-range game, attack mentality and restraint from hoisting long balls takes Miami a giant leap towards becoming the team everyone has wanted them to be since the Summer of 2010. A self-assured Chris Bosh helps too.

2. Which team has been most disappointing in the first week of the season and why?

MM: How about the Suns? The Suns weren't going to be good, but they weren't supposed to be this bad. Steve Nash looks trapped on an island of misfit toys and this is not how his career should end. Marcin Gortat is fine, good even, but the rest of the team can't hit a shot and still can't defend. It's looking very bad early for the Suns.

RY: Dallas. The Mavericks are going to be fine. I don't know if they're going to be fine in the sense they'll compete in the playoffs for a repeat, but they're going to be fine in terms of getting back to the playoffs. Thursday's game in Oklahoma City showed that those wheels are turning again finally after a pretty major champagne hangover.

But still, an 0-3 start with two blowouts is not how you want to see a defending champ come out of the gate. There was a real complacent look to the Mavs early on. They were missing a bit of that drive. Totally understandable, but at some point you've got to snap out of it.

BG: Sacramento Kings. No one expected the Kings to be world-beaters this year and their season opening win was about as exciting as life gets for the Cowbellers. The disappointment is more about Tyreke Evans. What is going on here? Evans has barely produced in the boxscore aside from his scoring, which is way down from his career averages through three games. A 4-point, 5-turnover effort against the Portland Trail Blazers was particularly bewildering. Is he out of shape? Checked out? Out of sync? Struggling to deal with new teammates? Simply off to a slow start? Evans seemed like a prime candidate to bounce back from an injury-plagued sophomore season and get back to his sterling Rookie of the Year performance in 2009-2010. Instead, the nosedive continues.

The first full night of games and it was a doozy. Rookie debuts, buzzer-beaters, and some vomit. The NBA is back in all its glory. Here are your grades for Monday, December 26th, 2011.

A: Denver Nuggets: Yeah, it was against the same team the Heat ran out of the building Sunday, this time on the second night of a back to back. But the Mavericks are still the defending champs and the Nuggets ran them out of their own building. It wasn't just the offense, either, though they were en fuego (49 percent from the field, 56 percent effective field goal percentage). Denver was also dialed in defensively. The best wins are those in which your offense allows you to set your defense to attack, which creates opportunities for your offense and it becomes a vicious cycle for your opponent. The Nuggets were like a race car wheel roaring down the track. They forced 19 turnovers, creating 20 percent more opportunities for themselves, and they took full advantage. Ty Lawson was a speed demon and when the Mavs did get in front, he smoked them from the perimeter (3-6 from the arc, 27 points). Al Harrington not only provided a huge offensive lift off the bench, he was engaged defensively. At one point he created a steal which bounced to Danilo Gallinari, who ran the floor then stopped and shoveled it back to a sprinting Harrington for the dunk. The Nuggets played so wel they could mess around on fast breaks. Dominant performance in their first season opener since 2003 without Carmelo Anthony.

B: San Antono Spurs:A little bit of revenge after the Grizzlies eliminated them from the playoffs last spring. The Spurs, six months removed from a season where they were an offensive juggernaut but couldn't stop anyone, especially down low, got back to their roots. They held the Grizzlies to an 86 offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions),which is elite status. They got back to defending, rebounding, and grinding their opponent to dust. Throw in a surprising performace from Richard Jefferson and an impressive debut for Kawhi Leonard, and all of a sudden, the "past their prime" Spurs look like they might be getting back to what made them great.

C: New Jersey Nets: Well, they were down 21 points at one point to the Washington Wizards who were playing without the fifth pick in the draft, Jan Vesely. The Nets looked lost, inept, ridiculous. And then they turned it on. Outscoring the Wizards 53-39 in the second half, they fought their way back into it and watched Flip Saunders' team self-destruct. Deron Williams was the exerienced All-Star. And Kris Humphries, man of the hour. 21 points and 16 rebounds, cleaning up misses and killing the Wizards down low. This was a game that's hard for either team to feel good about because of the opponent, and being down 21 to the Wizards is madness. But they won, and they'll take it.

D: Kobe Bryant: Here's what is working for the Lakers right now, without Andrew Bynum, and why they fell apart in a loss to theKings. Ball movement, hustle and intelligent, efficient play. And the Lakers, after a lackadaisical game had them out of reach, fought their way back with that exact kind of play. And once again, Kobe Bryant went hero mode and once again, an opportunity to win was squandered by the Hall of Famer. The entire Lakers get a "D" here for failing to play any on the perimeter. (Seriously, Mike Brown, what's it going to take for Derek Fisher to get yanked? How many times must Tyreke Evans blow past him or block him?) But the Lakers keep getting within range through team play, and then Bryant attempts to take the team on his shoulders like he used to. That Kobe is gone, at least until the wrist heals. 24 field goal attempts for Bryant, who leads the league by a mile in usage percentage (percent of possessions used -- tricky stat that), and two turnovers, including an offensive foul late. A bad month for the Black Mamba gets worse.

F: Dallas Mavericks: You have GOT to be kidding us.

Other notable grades:

Incomplete: Chicago Bulls: Are they as bad as they have looked in the first two games after a loss to the Warriors on the road to open the season? No. But they do look bad. Really bad. But with a 1-1 mark, considering the schedule (two West coast road games to start the season on consecutive nights) and the opponent (a Warriors team with confidence after nearly nailing the Clips, even if they were on their own second game of a back to back). The Bulls fought back in and made it a game late, but if they don't make up their homework to the teacher, bad grades are coming.

On, then off, and now back on again. One of the NBA's scariest stories in recent memory reportedly just found a happy ending.

The Sacramento Kings have reportedly agreed to sign center Chuck Hayes to a 4-year contract less than one week after a previous deal was voided when the team announced he failed his physical. SI.com and Yahoo Sports report the new deal is worth $22 million over four years.

The Kings confirmed later Thursday night that the team had "an agreement in principle" with Hayes on "a multi-year contract" but did not disclose the details.

Last week, the Kings and Hayes agreed to terms on a 4-year deal reportedly worth $21 million. On Monday, Kings president Geoff Petrie announced that "in one of the most heartbreaking moments" of his career he had to void the deal because Hayes could not get medical clearance. Reports in Sacramento indicated that a heart condition was the cause of the deal snag.

On Thursday morning, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that Hayes had received clearance on his heart from the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic. That news paved the way for his agent to re-open free agency talks. The Kings, who were unable to re-sign center Samuel Dalembert, were obviously still interested in Hayes, who they had originally managed to pry away from the Houston Rockets.

Hayes, 28, is a 6-year NBA veteran known as an undersized big man with a major motor. His career averages: 4.4 points and 5.8 rebounds in 424 NBA games.

The Houston Rockets have reached terms on a new contract with free-agent center Samuel Dalembert, according to sources close to the situation. Sources told ESPN.com that Dalembert has agreed to a two-year deal. The value of the contract was not immediately known.

Yahoo Sports reports the following contractual details: "Dalembert's 2-year deal with Houston pays $7 million in 2011-12 with a team option for $7 million in 2012-13, sources say. If option declined, [there is a] $1.5 million buyout."

Kings president Geff Petrie issued a terse, one-sentence press release on Wednesday: "The Sacramento Kings today announced that the team has withdrawn its offer to free agent center Samuel Dalembert, according to Kings’ President of Basketball Operations Geoff Petrie."

Translation: "He's going to Houston? We never wanted him anyway!" Gee whiz, guys, no hard feelings.

Dalember to Houston comes after a tumultuous two weeks of searching for the Rockets, who had hoped to be major players in a free agency market loaded with big men. Looking to fill the hole left by the retirement of franchise center Yao Ming, the Rockets watched Tyson Chandler and Nene Hilario sign elsewhere. They extended an offer sheet to Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, only to watch him re-sign in Memphis. To add insult to those injuries, a 3-team trade that would have landed Los Angeles Lakers All-Star big man Pau Gasolfell apart when NBA commissioner David Stern, acting as owner of the New Orleans Hornets, nixed it multiple times.

Dalembert, 29, isn't the worst consolation prize, although he's no All-Star. A 9-year NBA veteran who spent his entire career with the Philadelphia 76ers before landing in Sacramento last season. His career averages: 8.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry suffered a right ankle injury during the second quarter of a Tuesday night preseason game against the Sacramento Kings at Power Balance Pavilion. The Warriors announced that, after an X-ray, Curry's injury is being called a "sprain."

He will be "re-examined" on Wednesday and his availability is currently unknown. The Warriors host the Los Angeles Clippers for their season opener on Christmas Day.

Curry was trying to defend Jimmer Fredette’s crossover at the top of the key when his ankle gave way. He crawled toward the sidline at midcourt in agony and put little pressure on the troublesome ankle as teammates Charles Jenkins and Tommy Mitchell acted as his crutches to the locker room.

Curry left the game after tallying 7 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 3 steals in 14 minutes. Just 23, has fought a seemingless endless battle with ankle injuries as a pro, and he underwent surgery to repair ligaments in his right ankle last May.

Back in November, Curry told CBSSports.com that he was confident and felt "unlimited" following the surgery but that he would need to use training camp to be sure it could hold up to game conditions.

“I don’t know what it’s going to feel like,” Curry admitted in November. “The first week of training camp will be able to tell me exactly where I’m at with the rehab and physically speaking. When the actual games start, I don’t want to be limited [minutes-wise], so hopefully the week of training camp that we have will allow me to just get out and play and help my ankle respond when I’m out there competing.”

Curry scored 22 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished six assists and had three steals in Golden State's first preseason game against the Kings on Saturday. The Warriors won, 107-96, at Oracle Arena.